This exhibition presents an energetic perspective on figures and objects in space, while observing alternative approaches to emotional and psychological identity in contemporary western society. Each artist approaches their work from a distinct place, yet the vibrance of their color choices, the language of abstraction, and the strength of their voices through varying media create a visual harmony, even in occasional chaos of form.

Kristi Arnold focuses on forces in seeming opposition and the flexible definitions of “grotesque” in her paintings and works on paper. She contrasts ideas of beauty/ugliness, representation/abstraction, and order/disorder through physical distortion, contrasting colors, and the play between positive and negative space. Referencing the Rorschach test, the shapes she creates are interchangeable, shifting between two or more forms, or seemingly in a state of flux.

Alex Costantino keeps his own physical actions and processes central in his paintings, with a consideration for a figure’s emotional identity as well as the iconography present in each image. Exploring ideas through pattern, he works in reaction to the figure’s pose, shape, and personality, accentuating visual depth or flatness, or cultural association.

Aimee Hertog, Stingray, mixed media, 37" x 21" x 12"

Aimee Hertog uses a multitude of found-object materials to comment on the chaos of domestic life and female identity, challenging not only our contemporary notions of beauty but also traditional myths of domestic bliss. Often the work takes the form of grotesque female figures. Distended, entangled, and sometimes literally left hanging, these pieces reflect the struggle women face in constructing and guarding their identities.

These artists play with both subtle and overt abstractions of the human figure, and use elements of improvisation and constant change within their practice. They investigate repetition and multiples in form, process, and final product. Their work filters selected elements of their surrounding reality through a personal lens of active making, historical reference, and humor. This results in a dynamic exploration of form, movement, and color. The works play off of one another in a way that echos the play of each artist in their making.